NEW laws to make Merseyside the only area of Britain with complete control over its rail network will be fast-tracked, the Government pledged last night.

NEW laws to make Merseyside the only area of Britain with complete control over its rail network will be fast-tracked, the Government pledged last night.

A Bill to hand Merseytravel responsibility for the track, station and signals on the Merseyrail lines will be published before Christmas, after winning a slot in the Queen's Speech.

It raises hopes that the legislation can reach the statute book even if, as expected, the parliamentary session is cut short by a general election in May.

Merseytravel has already said the powers could be handed over within months of becoming law, because a detailed strategy has already been delivered to the Department for Transport.

In a further move, the transport body would also be able to switch funds from rail to local buses, or even trams, if it believed it would be more effective.

The package, first suggested in a White Paper in July, has been included in a Railways Bill, one of 32 measures unveiled in yesterday's pomp-filled opening of the parliamentary session.

At present, Merseytravel only has control over rail services. Decisions about track and station improvements are made by Network Rail officials, based in faraway Birmingham.

It is the only passenger transport executive (PTE) set to gain sole control because - unlike Greater Manchester, the West Midlands and other large urban areas - it is self-contained.

Even Transport for London, which runs the capital's enormous Tube network, does not enjoy similar muscle over local rail track and trains.

Merseytravel badly wants the extra responsibility, which it claimed would improve services by passengers by making the organisation "faster on its feet".

Similarly, with buses - which are currently in the hands of 37 different private operators - the ability to switch funding around would improve co-ordination, it believes. And Alistair Darling, the Transport Secretary, said the changes were needed because "local transport decisions are best taken by people who know what's needed locally".

However, critics have argued the extra powers will lead to the axing of some local rail services --with the Government deflecting criticism onto local transport bodies.

The Railways Bill will also scrap the Strategic Rail Authority - set up by Labour just four years ago - cut the number of rail operators and create a single rail regulator.

At Westminster, the Queen's Speech was immediately seen as preparing the ground for an election campaign centred on tackling the terror threat.

There were no fewer than 12 Home Office Bills, including measures to introduce identity cards, to tackle organised crime and draconian anti-terror powers. The package immediately sparked accusations that the government was fostering a climate of fear in the run-up to a general election, in a bid to outflank the Tories.

Peter Hain, the Leader of the House, admitted the emphasis on safety and security was aimed at "crowding out" the Conservatives, but insisted ministers were not whipping up unnecessary fears.

However, the vast majority of the Bills will not become law by next May, allowing Labour to set a campaign trap for the Tories, who risk being branded "soft on terror" if they oppose them.

The anti-terror proposals - including judges in some terrorist trials sitting without a jury - have already been condemned by civil liberties' groups. But Mr Hain said: "If you are bombed, what is your liberty to you then? People have to be safe to enjoy their liberty."